UK based forum

[poohbear]

This is the UKs busiest bird forum for all types of birds.Hundreds of breeders of finches and waxbills...very, very, busy forum.
Paul.

http://www.featheredflyer.net/index.php?

[Sally]

Thanks for the link. I think that keeping birds is more popular in Europe. I read an article about someone attending a show/fair in Europe, and he said it was huge, just hundreds of birds. He also noted that there were a lot more youth at the show/fair than you usually see here in the USA. It would be nice to see more kids involved, as they are the future of our hobby.

[poohbear]

The biggest show in England is at Stafford...It attracts thousands of keepers and breeders including many youngsters.There are hundreds of breeders tables with all types of birds for sale.
Nowadays only private breeders sell birds at these shows.Since the bird flu scare, bird traders are not allowed.Restrictions are pretty tight and the EEC has banned the import of wild caught birds.
I'm not against this personally...there are plenty of birds kept and bred without catching from the wild.This has resulted in previously common birds now getting quite rare and expensive...on the good side it has encouraged breeders to greater efforts to breed those that remain.
Unfortunately certain birds that are nearly impossible to breed in captivity like Pin tailed whydahs will disappear.
Paul.

[Sally]

In the US, the National Finch & Softbill Society has a program called Finch Save. It basically is trying to get people to breed some of the more uncommon species, with this being a way for breeders to get in touch, trade bloodlines, etc. Years ago, when finches were imported in huge numbers, no one thought there would be a time that there would be restrictions. Suddenly, certain species were not available, breeders had trouble finding fresh bloodlines, and many species became quite rare. Now we are importing many of the African species, but a lot of experts predict this is only a temporary window of opportunity. Hopefully, enough people will be able to breed these species, so they will remain available to us and to future generations.

[poohbear]

Exactly the same over here except we have no imports whatsoever.African Waxbills were cheap and plentiful so there was not much encouragement to breed the harder to breed varieties.Now some of these are up to 20 times the price and breeders are desperately trying to raise the numbers through breeding programmes albeit a little late in the day for many.
Paul.

[mickp]

great link Paul, thank you

[Diana]

Thanks for this links, I have been looking for an active finch forum in UK for a while. Found one but it was half dead and they have funny rules for posting pictures.

[cindy]

I just registered Paul...see you there!!

[Diana]

I just signed in too under the name of whitezebie.

[wellingtoncdm]

I have been a member there for a while. The conversation can get "intense" at times.

[Sally]

I have been a member there for a while. The conversation can get "intense" at times.

Charlie, I'm thinking this may be a group of quite experienced finchkeepers, each with their own way of doing things. Do they have 'differences of opinions'?

[wellingtoncdm]

Yes, at times. I think I read a post here about this forum being friendlier from a member of that forum who lives in England.
There is lots of great conversation as well though.

[cindy]

I am more interested in seeing the birds and mutations of show zebras

[lou]

Just joined, I had to come back to our site and look at cindy's zebra's picture to find the color of it's cheek

[poohbear]

I just registered Paul...see you there!!

Unfortunately not Cindy...had a fall out with Admin there a long time ago.This was an old post

I can't understand why they make membership and their forums so secretive...What are finch lovers?....a secret society or what? Typical Limeys...